Thomas s



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

T. s; BROWN.

MOWER.

No. 594,596'. Patented Nov. 30-, 1897.

WifZtess 8 $2.2M

Nirn STATES ATENT' union.

THOMAS S. BROWVN, OF POUGHKEEPSIE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE ADRIANOE, PLATT & COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

MOWER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 594,596, dated November 30, 1897. Application filed February 6, 1897- Serial No. 622,341. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS S. BROWN, a citizen of the United States,residin g at Poughkeepsie, in the county of Dutchess and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Mowers, of which the following is a specification.

One part of this invention relates to the draft devices, and has for its object to provide a mowing-machine with a draft device which draws on the frame in the ordinary operation of the machine, but which also draws on the coupling-bar when the progress of the cutter mechanism is unusually retarded-for instance, by dropping into a depression or striking an obstruction-so that when an unusual resistance is opposed to the forward.

movement of the cutter mechanism the draft is in part applied directly to the couplingbar, whereby the mower-frame is to a large extent relieved from excessive strains and the draft is better distributed upon the parts of the machine.

Another part of this invention relates to the sleeve at the lower end of the coupling-bar, and has for its object to enable the cast sleeve to be readily and securely attached to a wrought-iron coupling-bar.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a mowing-machine provided with my improvements. Fig. 2 is a cross-section, on an enlarged scale, in line 2 2, Fig. 1, looking rearwardly. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the elbow-lever, to which the rear end of the lifting-spring is attached, the spring being shown in dotted lines and the lifting-lever in a horizontal section in line 3 3, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the lower portion of the coupling-bar and connecting parts. Fig. 5 is a cross-section, on an enlarged scale, in line 5 5, Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a detached top plan view of the sleeve at the lower end of the coupling-bar.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures. 1

A represents the draft-pole of a. mowingmachine, secured with its rear portion to the mower-frame A in the usual manner.

0 is the coupling-bar, arranged transversely at the front of the machine and connected with the mower-frame and the cutter mechanism, as usual.

D represents the cast sleeve, which is secured to the lower or outer end of the couplingebar and which carries at its outer end an eye d, by which it is connected with the longitudinal pivot e of the shoe E at the inner end of the finger-bar E, as usual. The cast sleeve D is secured to the cylindrical wrought-iron bar 0 by simply pressing the sleeve onto the bar or the latter into the sleeve. In order to enable the cast sleeve to adapt itself to the diameter of the bar, which may be slightly larger than the internal diameter of the sleeve, the latter is formed along its inner side with a longitudinal recessed rib or channel 0, Fig. 5. This rib permits the sleeve to expand slightly in receiving the bar, and so allows of the use of roughrolled iron for the bar, doing away with the necessity of boring the sleeve and turning the bar and producing a very rigid connection of the sleeve and bar. The expansionrib also permits the sleeve to be slightly compressed for fitting it to a bar of sligh tly-smaller diameter than the internal diameter of the sleeve.

The sleeve Cis provided near its upper end with an upwardly-projecting looped standard F, in which the rod f engages, which connects with the lower end of thetilting lever F; also, at the base of this standard with two outwardly-projecting lugs G, between which the gag-lever G is arranged and which receive the pivot g of the gag-lever; also, at the front side of the base of said loop with an ear H, which receives the rear end of the draftrod h, and also at the rear side of the base of said loop with an ear 2', which receives the front end of the back brace I. The standard, lugs, and ears areall cast in one piece with the sleeve.

J represents the evener or draft-bar, which is arranged on the under side of the pole A and pivoted to the under side ofa slide J, which is provided Witha downwardly-proj ecting pivot j, on which the evener swings and on which it is held by a washer j and cotterpin The slide J is mounted on a guidebar K, which is secured longitudinally to the under side of the pole and which has side flanges k, which are embraced by the flanges of the slide J, so that the latter can move back and forth on the guide-bar.

Zrepresents a lug which is formed on the under side of the slide Jin rear of the pivotj, and l is a rod which is pivoted with its front end to this lug and extends rearwardly through a downwardly projecting ear Z formed on the rear end of the guide-bar K.

m represents a draft-spring which is arranged 011 the rod Z between the ear Z and a screw-11 ut m, applied to the rear end of the rod. The draft applied to the evener tends to draw the latter and the slide and rod forwardly, and the spring resists this forward movement. The front end of the draft-rod h is loosely connected with the evener, preferably by a link it, connecting the draft-rod with an eye 01' on the washer j, so that the connection established between the evener and the coupling-bar by the red It and link n is slack in the normal position of the evener, as represented in Fig. 1. The draft-spring m is so stiff that it resists the draft on the evener required for moving the machine under ordinary conditions, and the spring therefore holds the slide and evener on the rear portion of the guide-bar, in which position of the parts the link a and rod h are slack, and the draft is applied through the pole to the frame of the machine in the usual way. Vhen the finger bar drops into a depression or strikes an obstruction, so that an unusual draft is required on the evener to overcome such additional resistance, the draft-spring yields to such increased draft and the evener and slide are drawn forwardly until the link 71 and draft-rod it become taut, when part of the draft is applied directly to the couplingbar until the unusual resistance has been overcome. The spring then returns the evener and slide to their normal position. The excess draft is by this means applied directly to the coupling-bar and not to the machineframe, and the latter is relieved from excessive strains and can be made lighter than usual without danger of breakage.

0 represents the elbow-lever, which is arranged with its front arm 0 over the couplingbar and has its front arm connected bya chain 0 with the gag-lever G in the usual manner. The downwardly-projecting rear arm 0 of the lever O is connected by a rod 0 with the footlever 0 as usual.

P represents the lifting-lever, which is arranged on the inner side of the elbow-lever O and which is mounted on the same horizontal pivot 19 on which the elbow-lever is mounted. This pivot 12 is formed on a bracket p',whieh is secured to the draft-pole A, and the bracket 1) is provided with a segment 12 to which the lifting-lever P can be locked by a spring-bolt 19 as usual. The elbow-lever O is provided in rear of its pivot with a lifting-lug q, which projects into the path of the lifting-lever, so that upon swinging the latter backwardly until it bears upon this lug, a further backward movement of the lifting-lever raises the front arm of the elbow-lever and operates the gaglever to lift the finger-barin the usual manner.

0 represents a straining lug or shoulder formed on the front arm of the elbow-lever and projecting inwardly therefrom into the path of the lifting-lever.

S represents the liftin g-sprin g, which is conneeted at its rear end to the rear arm of the elbow-lever and at its front end to the draftpole, preferably by an eyebolt s, which is adjustably secured to an ear 5', secured to the side of the draft-pole. The lifting-spring is attached to the pole and the elbow-lever before the latter is connected with the chain of the gag-lever. The lifting-lever is then swung forwardly, so as to rest upon the straininglug r of the elbow-lever, when a further forward movement of the lifting-lever strains the lifting-spring and forces the front arm of the elbow-lever downwardly until the proper ten sion has been produced in the spring to balance the cutter mechanism. The chain of the gag-lever is then engaged with the front arm of the elbow-lever, and the lifting-levcr,which is now free, is returned to its normal position. In this manner the lifting-lever is utilized for straining the spring, and the adjustable front connection of the spring is required only for slight adjustments to compensate for inequalities in the springs or for adjusting the spring to balance a finger-bar of greater or less length.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination with the pole, an evener capable of longitudinal movement on the pole, a draft-spring which is strained by the forward movement of the evener on the pole, and the coupling bar or support of the cutter mechanism, of a draft connection which extends from the evener to said coupling bar or support and which is normally slack, in which condition of the parts the draft is applied through the draft-spring to the pole and not to the coupling bar or support, while said connection is tightened by an excessive draft and then applies part of the draft directly to the coupling bar or support, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with the pole, a longitudinally-movable slide mounted on the pole, an evener attached to said slide, a draft-spring interposed between said slide and the pole, and the coupling bar or support of the cutter mechanism, of a draft connection which extends from the evener to said coupling bar or support and which is normally slack but is tightened by an excessive draft, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with the pole, a longitudinal guide-bar secured to the under side of the pole and provided at its rear end with a downwardly-projecting lug, a slide mounted on said guide-bar and provided with a downwardly-proj ectin g pivot, a draft-bar mounted on said pivot, a rod extending rearwardly ICC :o of a surrounding sleeve provided along its inner side With a longitudinally-recessed expansion rib or channel, substantially as set forth.

Witness my hand this 27th day of January, 1897.

THOMAS S. BROWVN.

Witnesses:

J osEPPr MURSCHAUSER, FRANK J. OoNNoLLY. 

